Hawthorn will be without captain Ben McEvoy until the second half of the AFL season after the ruckman suffered a small fracture in his neck.
McEvoy has withdrawn from the team which was named to take on Carlton at the MCG on Sunday in a battle between two unbeaten sides.
Will Day has been recalled by the Hawks, while the Blues have regained Adam Cerra after the classy midfielder missed last week through COVID-19 protocols.
Lewis Young has been called in to replace Mitch McGovern (hamstring) in defence for Carlton.
McEvoy injured his neck during a contest at training on Thursday but will not require surgery.
The 32-year-old is expected to make a full recovery with no ongoing complications.
"Once healed, this will have no impact on Ben's ability to play football moving forward," Hawthorn club doctor Liam West said.
"At this stage we expect him to return to the team in the back half of the season.
"We'll continue to assess Ben throughout his recovery following further specialist advice."
Jaeger O'Meara will captain Hawthorn in McEvoy's absence against Carlton.
Meanwhile, St Kilda ruckman Paddy Ryder has been cleared to play his first match of the season after an interrupted build-up.
Ryder and defender Dougal Howard return to bolster the Saints for Sunday's clash with Richmond at Marvel Stadium.
The Tigers have regained co-captain Dylan Grimes, who missed last week through soreness, but veteran spearhead Jack Riewoldt (thumb) and midfielder Dion Prestia (hamstring) are still unavailable.
